1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for administering a substance beneath the surface of a target, and more particularly to an apparatus adapted to be mounted upon an aerial projectile for releasing a drug within the body of a game animal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of archery and in the practice of bow hunting, numerous problems have arisen concerning the maiming of game as a result of inaccurately directed arrows causing the maiming of game. Typically, an animal wounded by a poorly aimed arrow will escape only to experience prolonged suffering. Attempts have been made to prevent such suffering by providing various attachments about the proximity of the arrowhead for releasing upon impact a chemical or drug within the animal. However, such attempts have been less than completely satisfactory in that the prior art devices typically generate aerodynamic instabilities during the flight of the arrow, necessitate a complicated assembly and structure, or require specialized, non-standard arrows or arrowheads.
A device generally directed to the dispensing of a drug in the surface tissues of an animal is disclosed by Hollingsworth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,866, which depicts an arrowhead formed in a unitary construction with a cylindrical shank having forward and rearward diametrically enlarged flange portions adapted to receive an O-ring. The shank of the arrowhead is fitted within a tubular member so as to form an annular chamber for the storage of a fluid material. The tubular member is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly projecting abutment members which, upon impact with the target, effect the separation of the tubular member and shank so as to release the drug within the animal. Such construction requires the use of a specialized arrowhead thereby precluding the use of standard off-the-shelf arrowheads. In addition, the outwardly projecting abutment members may create aerodynamic instabilities depending upon their orientation with respect to the arrowhead and may cause severe deflection of the arrow upon grazing an obstacle such as a tree branch.
Another drug dispensing apparatus for a hunting arrow is disclosed by Benke in U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,837. The apparatus is adapted to be attached to the shaft of an arrow by sliding the apparatus over the forward end of the arrow shaft and mounting the arrowhead thereon. An outer tubular jacket coacts with an inner cylinder fitted with outwardly and forwardly extending barbed members. The inner cylinder is slidable within the outer tubular jacket as well as slidable over the arrow shaft. The outer jacket is driven below the surface of the target by the arrow shaft while the barbed outwardly projecting members secure the inner cylinder within the surface tissues of the animal thereby effecting the separation of the arrow jacket from the inner cylinder and thereby releasing the drug within the animal.
Yet another device directed to a drug dispensing hunting arrow is shown by Bear in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,435, wherein a pod assembly is permanently secured to the forward end of an arrow shaft. A plurality of radially extending fins are provided within the central portion of the pod for forming a plurality of cavities for retaining the drug to be dispensed. A stretchable flexible rubberlike sheath is provided over the outer surfaces of the fins for enclosing the drug therein. The sheath is stripped back by frictional resistance upon impact with the target. The assembly is relatively complicated in structure and is not adaptable to interchange with standard broadhead arrow tips.
Thus, there exists the need for an apparatus for administering a drug within the tissues of a game animal via an aerial projectile, which apparatus is aerodynamically stable, of simple construction, and adapted to function with any standard hunting arrow shaft and arrowhead assembly, as well as to realize the numerous objects discussed below.